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Get Your Craft Beer On at the Big Beers and Barley Wines 2012 Beer Fest

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Now in its fourth year, the Big Beers and Barley Wines Beer Fest is happening this coming Saturday, October 6th at 4-8pm at the Montgomery County Fair Grounds Round House.   This craft beer tasting continues to grow, with over 150 quality craft beers that will get even the biggest beer geek excited.  Names like 21st Amendment, Chimay, Founders, Lambic X, Zymatore and many others will make an appearance, and most of the beers are STRONG – over 7% alcohol!  Click here for the full beer list!  Not to mention that most of Dayton’s most popular craft beer bars will be there as pour sponsors – as will Dayton Most Metro!  Be sure to stop at our table to say hi – we’ll have DMM Publisher Bill Pote and our Food Adventure guys Super Fry and the Big Ragu pouring beers!

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online(or for $40 at the door).  Money raised goes to benefit Resident Home Association (RHA)  – the first private, nonprofit agency to provide residential services and supports for people with developmental disabilities in Montgomery County.  They focus on creating and maintaining safe and nurturing home environments that include family relationships and that enhance personal choices for their residents.

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Dayton Most Metro Ticket Contest

As one of the media sponsors for Big Beers and Barley Wines Beer Fest, Dayton Most Metro has TWO PAIRS of tickets to give away – just fill out the form below, and leave a comment saying that YOU want to win tickets to the Big Beers and Barley Wines Beer Fest from Dayton Most Metro.  We’ll announce winners on Friday 10/5 after 1pm – GOOD LUCK!

CONTEST CLOSED

Congratulations to our winners!

Jordan Frei
Michelle Mildon Sweigart

 

Gourd-geous Beers: Pumpkin Brews

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Dogfish Head Punkin

I love Autumn. I think most people from this part of the country really appreciate this part of the year. I mean, what’s not to love? Everything turns beautiful, the air smells better, you get to wear comfortable clothes combinations (sweatshirt and shorts, anyone?), and perhaps most importantly you get to drink all the amazing seasonal beers that hit the shelves. One of the most flavorful, intriguing, and often misunderstood styles that pops up this time of year is the Pumpkin Ale. To some, the idea of a pumpkin-flavored beer is a complete turn off. To others (like me), we mark our calendars for pumpkin beer season.

A Brief History

At first, it may sound like a pretty odd concept; of all the ingredients out there, why are so many beers made with pumpkin? Believe it or not, pumpkin in beer in America has a very long history. Back in “the day”, it was hard to find malted barley which is generally the most common grain used in today’s beer. Pumpkin, on the other hand, was in abundance and pretty easy to grow. They found out that they could swap out a lot of the barley with things like pumpkin, molasses, sweet potatoes, and squash to produce the sugars needed to make beer. Let’s face it, beers made with crazy ingredients is better than no beer at all – especially considering beer was actually safer to drink than the water at the time. These beers were designed to extract sugar (and therefore alcohol) from pumpkin rather than flavor, so as time went on and malted barley was easier to come by pumpkin was used less and less. Today’s pumpkin beers bear very little resemblance to the more rustic colonial pumpkin beers in that they focus more on pumpkin pie and spice flavors. Many of today’s pumpkin ales are described as “pumpkin pie in a glass”. Mmmm, thirsty yet?

Commercial Examples

There’s a lot of pumpkin beers out there right now. In fact, it seems like every craft brewer out there has a seasonal pumpkin ale nowadays. To be perfectly frank, most pumpkin beers are somewhere between “blech” and “meh”, so how do you know a good one from a bad one? Here’s a few recommendations I have for a starting point to the world of pumpkin beers:

Southern Tier Pumking

Southern Tier – Pumking

Very few beers have a reputation like Pumking. Some love it, some hate it. It is, however, one of the top rated pumpkin beers according to both Beer Advocate and Rate Beer. This beer is a unique experience from the moment you pop off the cap as it fills the room with the aroma of freshly baked pumpkin pie. The taste is the closest thing you will find outside of NASA to being able to drink pumpkin pie – right down to the crust and whipped cream topping. It’s completely over-the-top and unapologetic in it’s huge flavor. Keep an open mind when trying this beer (don’t think beer, think pumpkin pie), and you will be rewarded with a truly unique experience. At 8.6% ABV, you might want to split this beer with two or three friends. Fans of this beer, keep your eyes peeled for the Oak Aged version.

Rivertown Brewing – Pumpkin AleRivertown Pumpkin Ale

This beer only clocks in at 5% ABV, but it feels like a big dessert beer. The thing that separates this beer from other pumpkin ales is the huge amount of sweet vanilla, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg flavors and aromas. Even with all of this complexity, this beer drinks very easily. Plus, it’s brewed right here in Ohio!

Dogfish Head – Punkin’

 

This beer may be one of the most popular pumpkin ales on the market, and for good reason. While other pumpkin beers are sometimes on the extreme side of things, Punkin’ actually tastes like beer. A full-bodied beer with a lot of spice character, but beer nonetheless. Nutmeg and brown sugar shine through, yet the beer is remarkably far from being too sweet.

Dogfish Head Punkin

The brewery recommends pairing this beer with turkey, roasted duck, lamb, stuffing, dessert dumplings, and sharp cheddar – in other words, grab a 4-pack while you can (it sells out fast!) and save it until Thanksgiving. You’ll be rewarded with a beer that drinks well during dinner and dessert.

 

 

The Bruery – Autumn Maple

The Bruery Autumn Maple

Ok, so this beer isn’t technically a pumpkin beer since the brewery uses yams instead of pumpkin, but bear with me here! This beer is extremely complex, and at 10.5% it’s the biggest beer in this list. This beer is great for those who enjoy Belgian-style ales. The beer has notes of dark fruits, spices, buttered yams, pecans, and oddly enough pumpkin! The beer features cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup. The Belgian yeast strain adds notes of clove and coriander (neither of which are actually in the beer). A word of caution – this beer almost demands to be shared. Even as tasty as it is, it can be a daunting challenge to finish a bottle to yourself.

 

Sam Adams Fat Jack Imperial Pumpkin AleSam Adams – Fat Jack

This is the first year that Fat Jack has been released, and I would be more than happy to see this beer come around every year. Perhaps the least “pumpkiny” beer on this list, Fat Jack showcases deep flavors of roasty malt, brown sugar, caramel, light cinnamon and nutmeg, noble hops, and just a hint of smoke. This one is definitely on the sweet side of things, but it would also be a fine accompaniment to savory fall dishes like buttery squash. The large format bottle and higher alcohol content (8.6% ABV) make this beer a great candidate for sharing.

 

So there you have it, pumpkin beers! Pumpkin brews sort of have a cult following among beer geeks. They aren’t for everyone, but if you have never had a pumpkin beer then give them a shot. Remember, it’s not important that you like every beer you try. What’s most important is the willingness to try new beers.

Wild Blackberry Beer – Rivertown Ojos Negros

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Rivertown Ojos Negros

Yesterday was apparently Sour Beer Day, so I decided to get all reviewy with a sour that’s been sitting in my fridge for a few weeks. Rivertown‘s Ojos Negros is an American Wilde Ale aged with Blackberries in oak wine barrels. This beer is brewed a stone’s throw away in Cincinnati.

From their website:

AVAILABLE IN 750ML BOTTLE ONLY, RELEASED ONCE YEARLY IN JULY. A WILD FERMENTED BREW AGED IN OAK WINE BARRELS WITH OVER 140 POUNDS OF WHOLE BLACKBERRIES FOR ONE YEAR. 6.3% ABV, 8 SRM, 6 IBU

APPEARANCE

The beer pours a surprisingly clear reddish-brown color with absolutely zero head. There isn’t a lot of visible “bubbliness”, which is somewhat surprising. It actually looks very much like a slightly carbonated wine. It definitely gained a lot of color from the blackberries, let’s find out if it gained any aroma/flavor from them. [Read more…] about Wild Blackberry Beer – Rivertown Ojos Negros

Brew it yourself!

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Belmont Party Supply

Belmont Party Supply was the original home of BrewTensils.

How are you enjoying Dayton Beer Week so far? The wide variety of beers, beer dinners, and other special events should be heaven for any beer lover in the area. Some people are not satisfied with just going out and enjoying. Some people need to create it on their own. For those people, there is BrewTensils. They have been open for just a few years, but have a much longer history than that. Darren Link, the manager at BrewTensils, took some valuable time out of his schedule to answer a few questions for us here at Dayton Most Metro. He spoke a little about the growing Dayton craft beer scene, how he started home brewing, and how you can join the ranks of home brewers in the area.

How did you get into home brewing? How long have you been doing it?

I got into it the same way almost everybody else does, a friend said “Let’s make some beer.” And I had the typical reaction “You can do that?” We made a few awful batches, I ‘borrowed’ some of his equipment to do my own beers. I got the bug and have been doing it for 4 years now.

What is your favorite style of beer to brew?

I kind of jump around with the styles I brew, so I don’t think I have a favorite style to brew. I enjoy brewing IPA’s; you will never have a fresher IPA than one you brew yourself. I also enjoy brewing English styles, Belgian Sours, and recently finished my second lager a Munich Dunkel.

What made it a good time in Dayton to open a home brewing store?

We have sold homebrewing supplies for the past 25+ years. The supplies used to be in the back of the beer store next door, Belmont Party Supply. A small shelf and items were constantly out of stock. Both BrewTensils & Belmont Party Supply are owned by Mike Schwartz. He noticed the demand increasing in the area and after the dry cleaner went out of business that used to occupy this space, established the current BrewTensils roughly 3 years ago. We’ve been consistently growing ever since.

Bulk Grain

Brew all the grains! Photo courtesy of Mike Lang

How have you seen tastes in beers change?

There’s almost an evolution in craft beer drinkers tastes. They have one craft beer or a couple beers that change their prospective. They get curious about what else is out there; they typically get into IPA’s and the hoppier styles. Then higher gravity (higher alcohol) and finally start appreciating the styles that are difficult to brew. As far a craft in general, it’s up 14% this year when beer sales in general have declined.

Do you see home brewers influencing national trends, or vice versa?

I think it’s a two way street. Brewers like to see how close they can get to brewing their favorite commercial beers. There are literally millions of clone recipes on the internet; New Belgium Fat Tire, Bell’s Two Hearted, and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald being very popular ones. On the other side of it, homebrewers have helped to save some less popular beer styles. I feel that traditional Belgian Lambics have been an example. Almost going extinct in Belgium in the 60’s & 70’s, the popularity amongst homebrewers, professional brewers & beer connoisseurs have helped to keep them alive.

IPAs look like they are all the rage right now. What do you think the next beer trend is going to be?

I think IPA’s will always be the rage. I think session beers are increasing in popularity. A session beer being defined as a beer you can drink large quantities of without getting sloshed and typically has an alcohol percentage between 4 & 5.6 or lower. People want to try several different beers in one sitting, maybe even venturing outside of their comfort zone. On the other side of that there’s ‘extreme’ beers which can clock in at 10, 12 even 18 or 20 percent, which you can have one of and be rocked.

When does your next round of classes start? What do you like most about teaching them?

I don’t have dates set for those yet but I’m looking at having a round of classes before the holidays, so October/ November time frame. Our largest attended class is right after the holidays in January. The past 2 years we’ve had 70 people attend Brewing 101.

I like seeing their excitement of getting started, getting hooked and then bringing their first or second beer in for me to taste to see what I think of it. Kind of living vicariously through my customers reminding me of how excited I was when I started.

Darren

Would you buy a home brewing kit from this man? Photo courtesy of Mike Lang

What is the:

                -best beer you have tasted brewed by one of your customers?

The one that’s in front of me. No seriously, I am always pleasantly surprised by the high quality of beers that my customers brew.

-the worst beer?  (or a beer that people seem to have the hardest time brewing)

There’s an ancient beer style that used a whole uncooked chicken thrown into the fermenter. He soaked the entire chicken in white wine to ‘sanitize’ it, put it in the secondary for about 2 weeks, and loosely filtered it. I thought I was going to get salmonella from drinking it but the white wine added more character than the chicken.

-a beer you thought sounded awful but ended up tasting really good?

It didn’t sound awful; I was more intrigued by the idea of using homegrown garden herbs and spices in a beer. I have a couple of those I’ve done with great success. Honey basil ale is a really popular summer seasonal. Several customers have brewed it also with rave reviews. Another one that came out well is Thai basil & lemongrass wheat. But not all experimentation beers have turned out well, I’m still trying to perfect a baklava inspired beer with honey, pistachios, and philo dough.

Dayton Beer Company just opened, and Toxic Brew Company, Fifth Street Brewpub, Vitruvian Brew, Yellow Springs Brewery and Dayton History are poised to open breweries in the near future. Plenty of restaurants already have a wide selection of craft beers in the area, like Boston’s, South Park Tavern, Chappy’s, and a few others. Do you think Dayton is close to a saturation point on breweries and craft beer?

Not even close, we’ve only just begun. I had a theory before the new resurgence of breweries. I think Dayton was the largest craft thirsty market in the US that didn’t have an operating brewery. Look at the numbers Fifth Street Brewpub got for their charter member drive. Their original goal was 300 they got 830, in one month. I feel that Dayton and surrounding areas could support a double digit number of breweries. Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ashville, North Carolina split the Beer City USA title this year. Those aren’t huge markets but beer tourism drives some of that. Don’t be surprised to see some beer tourism in Dayton a couple years from now.

What is your advice to someone that wants to start brewing? What is a good “beginning style” to start with?

My advice for new brewers is to do some reading first. Read Jon Palmer’s “How to Brew”. Either pick up a copy or read it online at howtobrew.com. He writes it in a way so you can avoid mistakes and have a successful beer they will enjoy and be proud of the first time they brew. Other than that, start small, pick up a Brewer’s Best Deluxe Equipment Kit and a small bottle of Star San sanitizer. Cleaning and sanitization are very important and are two separate actions. The Brewer’s Best English Brown Ale is by far the best selling first time brewer recipe kit, it comes out like a Newcastle. The nice thing about the recipe kits is they only require a 2 ½ gallon boil so it can be done on the stove

Belmont Party Supply, BrewTensils, and Stacker’s Subs and Grub are all located on Smithville Road, near Watervliet Avenue. You can call BrewTensils at (937) 252-4724, and become their fan on Facebook. Cheers!

 

Hooray Beer!

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Dayton Beer Week

Dayton Beer Week 2012! August 18th - 24th! Our Festivus!

Next Saturday, August 25th, Dayton will mark the 14th time AleFest has been celebrated, and it has been picking up steam every year. Three hundred and fifty breweries are participating in the event taking place at Carillon Historical Park. It is the main event in an escalating series of beer celebrations around town that makes up Dayton Beer Week, August 18th – 24th. This is the week that every craft beer aficionado should be going out and looking to expand their palate. It would be harder for you this week to find a place that is NOT offering some sort of beer event.

There are going to be beer tastings, dinners, tappings, specials, and education all week long in the widest variety of venues. Places better known for wine or other spirits will be getting into the act, like the Century Bar, Thai 9, A Taste of Wine, Buckin’ Donkey BBQ, and Bruning’s Wine Shop. Beer dinners will be offered all around town to help improve your food and beer pairings at Rue Dumaine, Jay’s Seafood Restaurant, Dorothy Lane Market, Spinoza’s Pizza & Salads, Meadowlark, The Melting Pot, and Jimmie’s Ladder 11. Representatives from Samuel Adams, Stone Brewing Company, Duvel USA, Brewkettle, New Holland, Magic Hat, 21st Amendment, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada Brewery, and Unibroue will be in town to talk about their beers as well as show off some of their new products. All of the dates and times for these tastings are available on our event calendar under beer.

The festivities for the week officially begin on Sunday evening, August 19th, with the Beer Pride Parade, starting at the Dublin Pub. Line up through the Oregon District and show your craft beer pride!  The over 800 owners of the new Fifth Street Brewpub Co-op are invited to a pre-parade event and will walk in the parade en masse.  The first eighty bicycle riders to Biking for The Beer Of It in Miamisburg can participate in a nice ten mile ride on Tuesday, August 21st, sponsored by Goose Island. There will be some refreshments at the mid way point, and a little bit of swag for all of the participants. Five chefs and six beers will be featured on Wednesday, August 22nd, at the Dayton Art Institute’s Brewer’s Art dinner. Space is limited for this event, so you are going to want to make your reservations soon! Of course, the final event, the culmination of a week’s worth of fun and tasting and exploring is AleFest.

Dayton AleFest

For fourteen years, this has been THE beer event in Dayton.

While you are out exploring Dayton, there are a few things you should remember as you are out doing your tastings:

  • When you taste, it is very similar to tasting wine. You want a little foam on the top. You also want to look at and sniff the beer before you taste it, to see what aromas are coming off of it.
  • Do not hold the beer in direct light when you look at it. You get the best idea of color when you look at it in indirect light.
  • Give it a little bit of a swirl in your glass. This stirs up the carbonation a little, allowing more of the aromas to be released. Don’t underestimate the importance of scent when tasting your beer!
  • Hold the beer in your mouth a little bit, allowing it to roam all over your tongue. Enjoy the flavors that come out as it is in your mouth. Take a mental note on how thick the beer is. This is known as mouthfeel.
  • Allow the beer to warm up SLIGHTLY before you drink it. As with wine, a little bit of extra warmth unveils deeper flavors that may not be otherwise obvious.

And while you are going to Beer Week events:

  • Car pool. Parking is going to be very limited for some of these events, and the citizens are going to be out in force. Getting more people in one car is going to be helpful for everyone.
  • Get there early. You want to make sure you get there in enough time to get seats, be able to talk to the guest of honor, etc. Some events may even have limited seating. Make sure you call the venue and check out the details.
  • Drink plenty of water. This is going to serve a twofold purpose. First, water will help cleanse the palate between each beer, giving you a better idea of how each beer tastes. Secondly, it will help you avoid a worse hangover than you might normally have.
  • Do not eat spicy foods before you go to an event. You do not want your taste buds to be still burning from the Nuclear Hot wings you just ate. Eat a little something; just tone it down.
  • Go to the dark side. If you are not at a pre-set beer tasting, start off with some of the lighter beers, and go to the darker ones. The darker beers tend to have heavier flavors and be thicker, which can linger a little longer.
  • Designate a driver. No explanation needed.

Next week is going to be an exciting romp through the world of craft beer. Check out the list and plan you week carefully, participate in a few a events, and try out a few beers you have never thought about before, or may not get a chance to again. I am sure Max Spang (who helped me quite a bit with advice and research on this article) and I will see you out at some point around town. Cheers!

Great American Beer Tasting

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Having a beer at the ballpark is nothing special, but having over 75 brews to choose from must mean it’s time for Heidelberg’s 5th annual festival of beer at Fifth Third Field.  A $25 ticket will get you 20 samples of beeer, a souvenir sampling glass and a chance to wine great raffle prizes including a trip for two on the Bud Light Party Cruise, Dragons gear and Beer goodies for this Sat, Aug 4th’s event.   Gates open at 2pm and you’ll have 4 hours to meander your way around the 20 beer tables until 6pm.

You’ll even have a chance to head down to the field for a little cornhole or to play some carnival games.   Special tasting of will be available at table 21, while supplies last:

2:30pm: Widmer Marionberry Hibiscus Gose: Gose is a traditional cloudy German style wheat  beer that balances tart and slightly salty flavors with a soft malt background. Widmer Brother’s unique take uses a healthy dose of Oregon-grown Marionberries as well as dried Hibiscus flowers  for a tart, floral profile with clove and coriander flavors to round it out.

3:15pm: Goose Island Lolita: a pink rose colored Belgian style pale ale fermented with wild yeast and aged on raspberries in wine barrels. Aromas of fresh raspberries, bright jammy fruit flavors, and an effervescent body.
4:15pm: Brooklyn Beers, Brooklyn Local 1: Belgian-inspired strong golden ale. Behind the full golden color you’ll find an alluring aroma, a dynamic complex of flavors, Belgian flair, Brooklyn  fortitude and a dusting  of special yeast. To create this beer, an old technique of 100% bottle refermentation is used.
To Order Tickets:

  • Call the Dragons box office at (937) 228-2287 or purchase online
  • Purchase in the Dragons Den team store during Dragons game
  • OR visit and of the following local bars and restaurants: Amber Rose, Archer’s Tavern, Belmont Party Supply, Boston’s Bistro, Brixx, Cooper’s Deli, Dublin Pub, Miami Valley Wine,
    Frickers- Huber Heights

Tickets day-of the event are $35 at the gate. Designated driver tickets are also available at the door for $5,

Rolling Out the Beer Week Schedule, including a DAI Beer Dinner

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Restaurant Week hasn’t even ended and plans are already beginning to leak out for next months 3rd Annual Beer Week. Pints, Putters, & Pink Balls, a golf outing scheduled for Saturday August 18th is the kick off to a week of celebrating beer culture.  According to organizers Rob Strong and Joe Waizman, “This is a fun as sh*t charity event with all proceeds benefiting Local Chapter Breast Cancer Foundation. 18 holes on the par 3 course at Kittyhawk Golf Center, Kitty Course. ”
. The Basic Rules for the outing are:

1. 36- 2 person teams using 2 clubs per person (no sharing of clubs) and may only play with provided pink balls.
2. Basic scramble playing best ball (does not apply to worst ball scramble hole).
3. $30 per person includes 2 pink balls (replacements available for $5 each) and sandwich/snacks from 5th Street Wine and Deli at check in. Carts are a la carte.
4. 1:00 p.m. Shotgun start, registration at 12:30 p.m. Sharp.
5. Hand selected craft beer available for purchase on the course.
6. Signup sheets available at Thai 9, Trolley Stop, Blind Bob’s, South Park Tavern, Lucky’s and Fifth Street Wine and Deli. Fees due at sign up, cash only.
7. Awards for longest drive off an empty beer can, lowest score on worst ball scramble hole, and tournament winning team.
8. No golf gloves, spikes, or golf bags.
9. Lefty/Righty 7 for $1, longest shot gets 50% of pot.

Contact Robert Strong  or  Joe Waizmann with any questions or sponsorship requests.

Then Dayton Beer Week officially begins with the “Beer Pride Parade” in the Oregon District on Sunday, August 19. The parade begins at The Dublin Pub and  will work it’s way down 5th Street to Thai 9 for the Opening Ceremonies for Dayton Beer Week. The festivities will include a series of unique events, tastings and dinners held at various locations throughout the greater Dayton region. In 2011 there were over 50 beer centric events all over the Miami Valley and it looks like you can expect even more in 2012.
One of the first new events to be released is the Dayton Art Institute’s 6 course craft beer dinner featuring courses presented by 5 area chefs, each paired with beers brewed at a Trappist monastery under the supervision and responsibility of the monks.  Worldwide, only seven Trappist beers remain. Six of these come from Belgium, one comes from The Netherlands, and that is La Trappe, which will be the beers presented at the Brewer’s Art Dinner on Wed, August 22nd.

Tickets for this special event will be $60 in advance, with a $5 discount for DAI members.  Participating Chefs include Jay’s Seafood’s Chris Cavendar, Chef Jeff from the Culinary Company and Chef David Glynn.

The Beer Week Finale will be the 14th annual Ale Fest, held from 2 to 6 pm on Saturday, August 25 at Carillon Historical Park.   Featuring over 350 different beers from more than 150 different breweries – including a gluten free beer zone, new in 2012. Many of the exact details for this year’s event are still being finalized and tickets will soon be on sale  for $35 in advance.  As in the past, tickets get you entry to the event, a sampling guide, 20 craft beer samples and a commemorative sampling glass.

Stay tuned for more beer week events, we’ll keep adding them to our calendar  as we hear of them!  And in the meantime check out our MostMetro Calendar for Beer Events in the area.

 

Fifth Street Brewpub Taps its 250th Member in Only 10 Days!

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Fifth Street Brewpub’s membership drive is off to a blazing start. Ohio’s first cooperatively owned brewpub, which will open in the historic inner east district of downtown Dayton, signed its first member via its website  on June 26th and its 250th less than two weeks later. The community-minded, volunteer group that founded the brewpub has created a co-op business model that offers one share per person for $100 each. All owners, including the founders, own an equal share of the brewpub.

“Two hundred member-owners in 10 days with minimal promotion shows that beer lovers like the co-op concept and the idea of owning their own brewpub,” said Maureen Barry, Membership Director, Fifth Street Brewpub. “This is an idea that is sweeping the nation. Based on this pace of 20 new members per day, we have upgraded our goal to 500 members by July 31.”

All member-owners that join by July 31 are considered “Charter Members” and receive perks including 20-ounce pours for the price of a 16-ounce beer. In addition, their membership card will say Charter Member and they will have their names memorialized on the walls of the pub.

The 200th member of Fifth Street Brewpub is Erin Flanagan, an associate professor in the Department of English Language and Literatures at Wright State University. “I grew up in the 1980s watching the television show Cheers. Owning this neighborhood bar is like a dream come true,” said Flanagan, who recruited four other member-owners including her sister and brother-in-law who live in California. Flanagan and her sister, Kelly Hansen, also purchased a gift membership for their father, Ken Flanagan who lives in Winter, Wisconsin.

Gift memberships have been very popular and the Fifth Street Brewpub Board of Directors expects that to continue. Brian Young, Founding Board Member says, “Everyone has a friend or family member that loves beer. Buy a membership for them as a gift and since we are one of only four co-op brewpubs in the country, there’s a very good chance it will be the most unique gift they have ever received.”

The July charter membership drive includes two beer socials and marketing via Facebook, Twitter and the Fifth Street website. Buy personal or gift memberships at www.FifthStreet.coop. You may either download an application to mail with a check, or use PayPal to buy a membership online. You can also purchase a membership in person by attending a beer social July 14 from 3-5 pm or July 21 from 6-8 pm at 1600 East Fifth Street, Dayton.

To compliment the membership drive, Fifth Street Brewpub also has an investor’s initiative, with investment levels as low as $1000. Higher levels of $3000 and $5000 are available and bring other benefits, including naming your own beer at the $5000 plus level.

Fifth Street Co-op was formed in June by a group of community-minded beer lovers to open the Fifth Street Brewpub in the St. Anne’s Hill historic district of Dayton to beautify the neighborhood, provide jobs and create a friendly restaurant and pub. Become a member-owner now or learn more at www.FifthStreet.coop.

Mad Hatter Bar Crawl Takes on Oregon District

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Michigan’s New Holland Brewing Company is  celebrating their 15th anniversay by hosting their 2nd annual Mad Hatter Bar Crawl this Saturday, June 30th in the Oregon Arts District.  Each of the five scheduled bar visits will tap a different style of IPA.  Since the first year of New Holland Brewing Company’s existence, “Mad Hatter” India Pale Ale has been a flagship for the brewery. It is the top-selling beer and Gold Medal winner in the 2004 Great American Beer Festival for Strong Pale Ales.

Participants are encouraged to wear their favorite hat to get in the spirit of things!  The tour kicks off at 2pm at Thai9, where the White Hatter  which brings spice, hops, and fermentation notes together flavorfully and goes great with seafood, fennel, and mushrooms will be the first beer tapped on the tour.

At 3pm the party moves down to Blind Bob’s where the dark malted Black Hatter will be tapped.  One reviewer describes the aroma of pine, citrus rind and roasted malt, arising from the glass. Pine and citrus rind dominate the opening of this brew which transitions to a mild dark chocolate roastiness, and then finishes dry with citrus-like bitterness and a touch of roasted malt.

The 4 o’clock hour will bring on an IPA that’s been aged in bourbon barrels- Oak Aged Hatter at Lucky’s Taproom & Eatery. Round, smooth wood character brings a new dimension to dry-hopped, aromatic hoppiness.

As 5pm rolls around it will be time to tap Rye Hatter at Trolley Stop.  This beer showcases it’s grain-bill, made up of rye and barley malt. The rye adds a slight spiciness to the caramel-malt base, while also creating a creamy texture. Dry-hopping contributes a fresh citrus finish

The final stop on the tour will present the Belgian-styled Farmhouse Hatter at South Park Tavern!  Farmhouse Ales were originally brewed as “Provision Beers” by farmers in Belgium and France, brewed in the winter months to be consumed during hot summer work days. They were traditionally brewed light and refreshing to aid in both hydration and energy. Wheat and Pilsner malts were used to lighten up the body of this Mad Hatter version. It was also fermented hot with a strain of Belgian Saison yeast to develop flavors of green apple, pepper and fresh cut hay.

 

No reservations or pre-registration is necessary to participate in the Mad Hatter Crawl.  Just grab some friends, arrange a designated driver and meet up at Thai9 to kick things off.  Or feel free to just show up at one of the other stops!

 

 

 

 

Troegs Java Head Stout – Video Review

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[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Es-_sJK7eA’]

This is the Snobby Beer review of Java Head Stout from Tröegs Brewing Co in Hershey, PA. This year-round beer features coffee that is added via the hopback vessel, where the hot wort passes through what is essentially a giant French Press on its way to fermentation. This is also one of the first stouts that got me into craft beer!

This beer is available year round in the Dayton area wherever quality beers are sold.

From the Troegs website:Troegs Java Head Stout

“Alcohol by Volume: 7.5%
Hop Bitterness (IBUs): 60
Color (SRM): Black
Availability: Year Round
Malts: Pilsner, Crystal, Chocolate, Roast
JuJu: Oats, Blend of Coffee Beans
Hops: Cluster, Chinook, Cascade
Yeast: Unfiltered Ale

JavaHead Stout contains a blend of locally roasted espresso and Kenyan coffee beans by St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown, PA.

JavaHead’s recipe is based off of our original oatmeal stout. After the boil, the hot wort passes through our hopback vessel on it’s way to fermentation. Packed full of whole leaf hops and a bed of ground coffee beans, the hopback vessel is similar to using a huge French press, intensifying the coffee nose and releasing subtle hints of coffee flavor. The result is a lush oatmeal mouthfeel balanced with cocoa, roasted barley and subtle coffee flavors.

FOOD COMPLIMENTS
Cheese (earthy; Camembert, Fontina) General (Chocolate, Dessert) Meat (Shellfish, Smoked Meat)

Serving Suggestions:
Temp: 50-55°F Glassware: Pint or Mug”

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

Dayton Beer Company Now Open!

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John from Centerville was the first guy in line today at 4:30pm for the opening of The Dayton Beer Company.  He says he’s a  craft beer fan, who used to brew in the 90’s and has passed his passion on to his daughter who now brews in Knoxville. He says he’s never had a bad beer yet and upon sampling his first brew at the new Kettering Brewery he proclaims the Broken Trolley Blonde Ale as “wonderful.”

Kevin trying out the sampler

Kevin Kreig of Centerville is also a big fan of craft beers and he started his experience off with a flight of beer, which is four 4oz samples for $5.  Pints run $4 and growlers are $17 with refills available for just $13.  On it’s opening day, the intimate tasting room was at capacity with about 40 folks standing inside and a line out the door, with a few groups enjoying their beers on the small patio.

John from Miami Township says he’s “not a chemist or a brewer, but I know what I like and I’m proud to support an Alter grad.  Peter Hilgeman, the 25 year old Daytonian who founded The Dayton Beer Company says he’s always been interested in beer, but working at The Party Source in Covington, KY  during his college days at University of Cincinnati really peaked his interest. “I really wanted to restore the brewing tradition,” Dayton once had.  He spent five months traveling through Europe educating his pallet before returning home to create great tasting beers.

Jon, Dan & Mike enjoying opening day

In naming his beers, Pete pays homage to Dayton history with brews like Patterson Pale Ale,  Hawthorn Hill Hefeweizen and the Inventors IPA, which was a favorite of Kettering resident Dan, who is just happy to support a Dayton Brewery for the first time in 62 years!

Mike, who’s vising from Durham, North Carolina truly enjoyed the Rising River Porter, and was surprised at it’s lightness, but proclaimed it “perfect for summer.”  Coming tomorrow a Stout and a Smoked Ale will be added to the menu.  Speaking of menu, according to a price list on the table chips, soda’s,  Red Bull, bottled water, pretzels and beer nuts will be available, but on opening day it was all hands on deck to just get the beers out.

If you plan on frequenting the brew pub, you might be interested in joining the Flying High Club.  Basic membership is $20 and offers 50 cents off tastings, pints and 6 packs as well as a 10th free option and mailings.   The intermediate level adds a DBC Pint Glass, t-shirt and 2 koozie’s and everything from the basic package.  For you big rollers out there, you’ll think nothing of dropping $125 which lets you sport a DBC Polo shirt, 2 DBC Pint Glasses, 2 koozies and the basic benefits, too.

The Dayton Beer Company is located at 912 E. Dorothy Lane and will be open Wed – Saturday 5-10pm.

 

 

 

Tapping In!

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Like a beer lover’s Christmas…for a week!

You may not be aware of it, but we live in a Golden Age of beer. Outside of the major players in the beer game, there are just fewer than 2,000 craft breweries in the United States. It is estimated that majority of Americans live within ten miles of one of them. In the not too distant future, that will be true of Dayton as well, with the opening of the Toxic Brew Company. That number has come a long way since the 1970’s, when there were around forty breweries in the United States, and the dominant beer was the German style lager in the tradition of Budweiser. If you were looking for anything outside of that, you would have to find an expensive import. That is why the week of 14th to the 20th of May has been declared American Craft Beer Week by the Brewer’s Association. It is a time to celebrate craft brewing in all of its small batch glory.

There are three major criteria for what the Brewer’s Association considers a craft beer brewery.  The brewery in question has to be small, producing six million barrels of beer or less. To give you some idea of that size, Anheuser-Busch InBev sold 17.7 million barrels of Budweiser in 2011. Almost 18 million barrels of just one beer. Sam Adams, in comparison, sold 2.5 million barrels of all their fifty four beers released in 2011 combined.  The brewery has to be independent, meaning that less than 25% of the brewery can be owned by a member of the alcohol industry. Goose Island ceased to be a craft brewer when it became part of the Anheuser-Busch InBev Empire. Even if the holding company does nothing to the beer, it is not independent. It should also be traditional, having its flagship beer be all malt, or at least half of all its beers being malt-based. They also look for innovation, making sure that brewers are always pushing the edges of the styles to improve the product. And most craft brewers, since they depend on locaholics to spread the word of their product, tend to be very heavily involved in their community. This blend of distinct characteristics (small, independent, traditional, and passionate) creates a blueprint for a typical craft brewery.

The craft beer movement really did not begin until the 1980’s. In colonial times and up to the late 19th century, all breweries were local. They may have spread a little further than their own county, but with the limited technology of the day, they did not keep well and they did not travel quickly. It was not until the birth of the railroad and the advent of the refrigerated car that a beer was able to jump up and take over the country. Adolphus Busch was the man that made this leap (as well as a few others), and created a beer that was the same from New York to San Francisco. The big breweries, like Miller, Coors, Pabst, and others, grew from this point, crowding out all of the smaller competition. This downward spiral, aided by Prohibition, killed small breweries until 1965, when Fritz Maytag revived the Anchor Steam Brewing Company. Ken Grossman started to cobble together (literally) the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, using his passion for brewing and his knowledge of chemistry and engineering to create his beer. It was not until 1980 that the world saw its first drinkable batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Six years after that, the Boston Brewing Company was born, and Samuel Adams became part of a wave of breweries that swept the nation. That wave has been building over the last fifteen years, and does not show any sign of stopping. It has grown so  big there are even social sites where people can share the beers they love, one of the bigger ones being Untappd, where you can check in to each beer, rate it, tweet it, and even include where you are enjoying it so others may try it.

Can you pick the most delicious beer from this line up?

Of course, you are going to want to celebrate this week. Before you start celebrating, you should write down that Ohio Brew Week is June 22-30 in Athens, OH and our own Dayton Beer Week is August 18-25. For this coming week, there are plenty of great places to check out craft brews in Dayton. Downtown, the Trolley Stop has a wonderful selection of craft beers, as well as a beer tasting on the first Wednesday of every month. If they seem a little full, you can walk down the street a little and check out Lucky’s  Tap Room. They have eighteen beers on tap, and a hand book they give you to make sure you have an idea of what each one tastes like. Blind Bob’s also has a marvelous selection of craft beers  and food, and is also within stumbling distance in the Oregon District. If you are looking for something a little further afield, the South Park Tavern has an amazing selection of craft beers on tap and by the bottle, as well as a fairly extensive selection in bottles and live music most days of the week. Traveling further south and closer to the Dayton Mall brings you to Chappy’s Tap Room and Grille. While Lucky’s has a good sized book of beers, Chappy’s has a novel. They also have some beer clubs you can join, so you can benefit from trying their rotating beer taps and work your way onto their Beer Wall of Fame. If you are looking to travel a little north of the city, there is Boston’s Bistro, “where bier tasting is an art.” They have an extensive and always rotating list of bottle and draught beers, as well as food specials every night of the week. If you are looking to just bring some beers home to try, Belmont Party Supply is the place to go. They offer a wide variety of six packs and single bottles of beer, and they are the ones that run the beer tasting for the Trolley Stop. So they really know their brews.

You can even go out next week and have fine craft beers for a good cause!  The Big Brews and Blues Festival will be going on Friday, May 18th to benefit Dayton Diabetes.  There will be over thirty craft beers for you to sample, as well as good food and live blues music to listen to. It is a great way to end the work week and support local charity. You can even get the heads of this esteemed website serving beer to you! Celebrity bartending at its finest.  With all of these options for the week of the American Craft Beer week, what is going to stop you from broadening your beer palate? And if you have a beer you think people should be trying next week, leave a note in the comments. Cheers!

 

Big Brews & Blues (Ticket Contest)

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National Craft Beer Week is May 14 – 20 and the 3rd annual All Draught Beer Tasting hosted by Diabetes Dayton is the perfect way to celebrate.  It’s an evening of craft beers, and local blues at Carillon Park.  Starting at 5pm on Friday, May 18th brews from  Akron’s Thirsty Dog and  Ohio Brewing Companies, Columbus based Elevator Brewing, Mount Carmel and Riverton from Cincinnati. Also on site will be  Wooden Shoe Brewing Company of Minster,who began in 1860, survived prohibition and became one of the most desired brews of it’s era.  In all there will be over 30 craft beers to select from.

Purchase your early bird ticket for Big Brews and Blues for  just $30 until May 15th, which includes event entry and 20 beer sampling tickets with a commemorative tasting glass. On May 16th ticket price increases to $35.  If you are there just for the music, you can purchase a $5 entry ticket and beer will be available by the pint for $5.  This event happens rain or shine and ticket are nonrefundable.  Tickets can be purchased online.

General Admission Ticket: $35 available from may 16-18 includes event entry and 20 beer sampling tickets with a commemorative tasting glass buy your ticket online: click on the shopping cart at the bottom of the page! tickets are nonrefundable and the event will go on- rain or shine just want to come check out the event

Noah Witherspoon

The Silver Kings Blues Band will start the night out at 5pm, Uptown Blues Players  hit the stage at 6pm, Miss Lissa and Company begin at 8pm and the  evenings headliner, Noah Witherspoon will come on at 8pm and the event concludes at 9pm.

In honor of American Craft Beer Week  Dayton DRAFT  will be on hand demonstating the craft of homebrewing up close and personal throughout the evening of Big Brews and Blues.

Attendees will be able to dine on offerings from Boston’s Bistro & Pub, Brock Masterson’s Catering, Hickory River Smokehouse and Kaimelsky’s.

Providing camps for children living with diabetes is one of the most important programs at Diabetes Dayton. Their goal is to offer a safe, fun filled week of resident camping under the supervision of medical staff.  100 % of the funds raised at thisevent are used so that any child living with diabetes can attend camp, regardless of their ability to pay. Camp for these kids means making friends with other children living with diabetes, becoming more independent, receiving the best medical care 24/7, and enjoying all the fun camp can offer.

Ticket Contest

Dayton Most Metro has TWO PAIRS of tickets to give away to Big Brews & Blues!  Simply fill out the form below and comment below with your favorite craft beer.  We’ll draw two winners this Friday May 11 Saturday May 12 at 2pm – good luck!

CONTEST CLOSED

Congratulations to Troy Lindsey and Tamera Geesling – they are both winners in our ticket drawing for the Big Brews & Blues Festival! We do hope to see most of the rest of you there – there will be awesome beers, music, and DMM will be there pouring beers! CHEERS!

Insanity! A Beer Review

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This is the Snobby Beer review of Insanity from Weyerbacher Brewing Company in Easton, Pennsylvania. This seasonal beer is a bourbon barrel aged version of their year-round English Barleywine, Blithering Idiot. Clocking in at a whopping 11.1% ABV, this beer is big and bold. You may have seen my text review of this beer, but this is a beer that I feel deserves a video review!

From the Weyerbacher website:

Weyerbacher Insanity“Insanity is made by aging our perfectly balanced Blithering Idiot Barleywine in oak bourbon casks. This incredible combination creates a mélange of flavors from rich malts, raisons, and dates to oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Insanity will be yours this February!!!

Insanity is 11.1% ABV. It is best enjoyed in a brandy snifter and served at 45-55ºF.”

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the text review for this beer:

APPEARANCE

This beer is extremely murky. Reddish-brown with almost no light coming through. The head was about a finger and disappeared completely after a few moments. Admittedly it’s not the prettiest beer, but you can tell from the looks that it is good and hearty. It looks like a typical unfiltered barleywine.

SMELL

Lots of biscuit in the nose. The oak comes through, as do raisin and dark fruits such as plums and overly-ripe apricots. A very slight tinge of alcohol comes through, but not as much as one would expect from a 11.1% beer. As it warms, the alcohol becomes more pronounced yet it’s still fairly well hidden. There is a hint of spice such as cloves or nutmeg, albeit they are very mild.

TASTE

Ah – this is everything I like in a good barleywine. Tons and tons of dark fruits – dark overly-ripe cherries, plum, raisin, and apricot. I am reminded of cognac while I sip due to the wonderful fruit flavors. It’s very sweet, in fact it is almost syrupy which, in this case, is very pleasant.There’s a large amount of bread and biscuit flavors. The alcohol is extremely hidden in this beer, there’s only a slight taste of the alcohol after you swallow. The oak is sort of an afterthought, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed it if the smell didn’t come through. The aftertaste lasts and lasts, almost never quite leaving the mouth.

Weyerbacher InsanityMOUTHFEEL

This one’s a sipper. It’s very thick and syrupy with almost no carbonation. It’s slightly warming, but not as much as you’d think for having such a high ABV. It’s not easy drinking by any means, but rather the type of beer you sit and enjoy over the course of an hour (or longer!).

OVERALL

Excellent, excellent English style Barleywine. It’s got all of the delicious dark fruits and biscuit notes, and the oak adds a really nice bit of complexity that makes you crave more. This almost reminds me of Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA as far as the extreme fruit flavors. I don’t know how old my bottle was (couldn’t find a date anywhere), but I can tell this beer ages b-e-a-utifully. This is an awesome beer and is relatively easy to find (if you get Weyerbacher, that is) so I am definitely going to hold this beer in very high regards. Grab a few of these for the winter months, and enjoy in your favorite reading chair while snuggling up under some covers before bed.

Cheers.

SCORE: ★★★★ 4/5

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

This review is also available at Snobby Beer.

Sixpoint Bengali Tiger Video Review

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Brand new to Ohio! This is the Snobby Beer review of Bengali Tiger from Sixpoint Craft Ales in Brooklyn, New York. Sixpoint produces beers that are available in cans, and just recently became distributed in Ohio. The website claims that this beer is inspired by a homebrewed IPA.

From the Sixpoint website:Sixpoint Bengali Tiger

“What immortal hand or eye. Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
The Sixpoint homebrewed IPA interpretation. Blaze orange in color, with an abundance of citrus hop bitterness, and a full pine and grapefruit bouquet in the aroma.”

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

A Special Pint of Plain

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You are spending HOW MUCH on drinking?

There will be plenty of beer to be had this weekend on one of the biggest beer drinking days in the United States, St. Patrick’s Day. In fact, $4.5 billion could be spend on this day alone, and breweries will earn about $250 million dollars of that, or 1% of their sales for the year. It is like Christmas for the liquor industry. A great deal of you will drink your traditional Budweiser and Miller/Coors products, dyed green for the holiday. Some of you will step out and hit a stout or Irish red, along with the tradition of the holiday. If you really want to go traditional, you would throw down on a few hard ciders as well, which are still huge on the Emerald Isle and the United Kingdom. Or, you can start to mix it up. Literally.

Many of you have heard of the Black and Tan. Some of you may have had it pre-bottled by Yuengling, Michelob, or other beer companies. It typically is a mixture of pale ale with a stout or porter, poured so the stout layers on top of the ale. Traditionally it is Bass on the bottom, and Guinness on top. When pouring the beer, if you want the layered effect, start with the pale ale first. Fill the glass about half way, then pour in the stout over a spoon or down the side of the glass slowly. The layering depends on liquid density. Most beers have densities that are very similar, so any rapid pouring or disturbance in the bottom liquor will automatically mix the two beers. The stout goes on top delicately. Yes, though it is denser in flavor and color, it is actually scientifically less dense. Go figure. Another variation of this is the Half and Half, where a pale lager (like Harp, so we can stay Irish) is substituted for pale ale. Sometimes the two are used interchangeably, so make sure you know what you are asking for in the bar you will be making your last stumble in.

The science behind the Black and Tan leads to many, many variations. Here are a few of them, as featured in various places around the web:

Black and Blue: Guinness over Blue Moon. It is also known as a “Dark Side of the Moon” or “Eclipse”
Black and Brown: Guinness over Newcastle (Maybe you can find some Mt. Carmel Nut Brown to work with)
Black and Gold: Guinness over Dortmunder Gold
Priest Collar: Guinness over hard cider. Here in the Midwest, we also refer to it as a Snakebite.
Belgian Brunette: Guinness over Stella Artois.
Black and Trash: Guinness over Budweiser. (Make it green for the holiday…)

Joy in a glass.

If you are looking for the traditional Irish way of drinking it, lay your Guinness over some Smithwick’s. This is usually referred to as a Blacksmith or a Pint Special. You can even get something they call just a Special, which it a pint of Smithwick’s with a small layer of Guinness over the top of it, just to give it a nice, foamy head. It would be in very poor form to ask for a Black and Tan. In the 1920’s, the British sent over a special paramilitary unit to try to put down an Irish uprising. They had more people than they had uniforms, so there was a mix of browns from light khaki to almost black. They spent a good deal of their time failing to stop the Irish Republican Army while shooting into unarmed crowds of civilians. This British group, formally called the Royal Irish Constabulary, is known in Ireland as the Black and Tans for their motley uniforms. Your trivia (and Irish Safety Lesson) for the day.

Guinness is not only found floating on top of other beers. It can be found layered on champagne and called a Black Velvet. It is said that after the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria was inconsolable. At his funeral and around the city, she wanted everything to be draped in black. To drape the champagne at funeral and any other royal events n black, they poured in Guinness first, and then topped it off with champagne. It is important to do it in the proper order. Layering in reverse causes a huge foamy mess. Trust the writer on this one.

Beer mixing does not always involve Guinness. If you are looking for something to refresh yourself in this heat we seem to be experiencing, you may want something more light and refreshing. A shandy is an ale or lager (something light) mixed in equal parts with ginger ale, ginger beer, or lemonade. Put the non-alcoholic element in the glass first, and then add the beer on top of it. It is not going to layer, but it is going to mix for something cold and refreshing. If you are looking to add a little more oomph to your beer, you can go for a Depth Charge, which is a shot of liquor added to the beer of your choice. Some more popular options are tequila and Corona, orange vodka and Blue Moon, vanilla vodka and Guinness, and spiced rum and a darker bock or lager. Just remember that you are going to get hit a little harder by the extra shot you are getting with each beer.

The reason for the season, St. Patrick

If you are going to indulge in a little adventure, try out a few of the above mentioned beer concoctions to add some variation to your day. On the big day, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water to help minimize your hangover, and be sure that you are not driving. Have some eggs for breakfast, or plan to have them the next day, along with some coffee and more water. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself. And if you plan on making a toast, here is a traditional one from Ireland…

Saint Patrick was a gentleman,
Who through strategy and stealth,
Drove all the snakes from Ireland,
Here’s a toasting to his health.
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see all those snakes again.

Sláinte!